A Hard Knock Life
by CharmedChica101
Summary: This story takes place in a small town just outside of Chicago. A young girl who faces many problems such as, friendship malfunction, peer pressure, self inflicting pain, and even some normal everyday teenage troubles. But will she end up defeating these


A Hard Knock Life

By: Deanna Knight

This story takes place in a small town just outside of Chicago. A young girl who faces many problems such as, friendship malfunction, peer pressure, self inflicting pain, and even some normal everyday teenage troubles. But will she end up defeating these problems or will they corrupt her?

Chapter One

It all began in a small town not to far away from Chicago, young Mary Barton was starting her forth grade year at a new school. She was so nervous, and didn't like the fact that she had to leave her other school for no reason. Her mother had told her many times

"Mary, this school is closer to the house and I'm sure you will make loads of friends."

But Mary wasn't so sure about the making more friends' part, she didn't totally hate the fact she was going to a new school because her best friend Elizabeth Cary was moving to Maryland, but she didn't want to have to make new friends, she liked the ones she had.

When the time came for school to start Mary, her sister Alexis, and their mother went to Wal-Mart to buy school supplies. Mary always loved picking out all the shiny folders and notebooks, and her mother always let her get them. They had a girl's day out shopping for school clothes, supplies, and food. Mary, and Alexis were freakishly friendly and nice to each other. They were only one year and four days not to mention twelve hours apart. The two also looks freakishly alike. Mary was four feet five inches tall and Alexis was around four feet seven. They both had beautiful red hair, freckles filled their faces, and neither of them was skinny nor were they fat, they were what you call average. Since the day Mary was born people would always stop Mrs. Barton and say

"Oh how cute"

And not just to Mary. And as the two got older they were always mistaken as twins. Of course they had their moments when they would get into fights, all siblings do, but they were rare.

"Mommy, can we go for ice-cream after we get the food paid for?" Mary asked.

"Um…I don't know we've spent an awful lot today Mary."

"PLEASE!" she begged.

"Ok but smalls only." "Ok thank you mommy." Once they left the grocery store they headed for the nearest ice-cream shop, which happened to be the Tastee Freeze.

"I want a small vanilla cone with sprinkles." Mary said.

"I know honey you always get the same thing, Alexis dear what do you want?"

"I want…" Mary zoned out, daydreaming of how tomorrow was going to be.

"Hmm…" she said to herself.

"I wonder what tomorrow is going to be like, I wonder if anyone will like me?" many of these questions were going through her mind on the way home.

After eating their ice cream they hopped in the car and went home to put away the groceries and put together their backpacks. Mary always made her backpack nice and neat so she could see everything clearly, her sister however just kind of threw everything in her backpack regardless if it was neat or not. After dinner the girls went upstairs to play house…like they always did. Alexis was always the mother and Mary the child. Mary didn't mind she just loved playing with her sister.

"Kids." Mrs. Barton screamed up the stairs

"Its time for bed, I've let you stay up until 7:30, now bed BOTH OF YOU."

"Ok mom." Both the girls said simultaneously.

The next morning Mrs. Barton came upstairs into Mary's room and said

"Wake up sweaty, time for school." It was 5:30 and Mary was very tired, but she got out of bed anyway.

"Mom, I feel sick." Mary said faking a fever and a stomach ach.

"You're fine just get ready, I've set out your uniform, brand new, go check it out." She went back into her room sulking, looked at her new uniform and thought _well at least its better than the other one. _She never liked her St. Mary's uniform it was a mixture of red, green, and yellow, not a pretty site to see. But this one was ok it was white, light blue, and navy blue plaid not to bad.  
"Mom will you drive us?" Alexis asked.

"No honey I cant because I'm afraid that if I drive you the first day then you wont be able to ride the bus, and that is one of the reasons we switched you girls from St. Mary's to St. Gilbert's, but I can follow the bus and help you two find your classes how about that?"

"I LIKE IT!" Mary shouted from across the hall after eating her cheerios.

"Alright girls its 6: 45 time to go to the bus stop."

"Alright be out in a second." Alexis called from the upstairs bathroom after putting on some cover-up because that is all her mother would let her wear. After all she is only in the fifth grade.

When the girls got on the bus it seemed that everyone was looking at them. They found a seat near the front and sat together.

"Alexis?"

"Yea."

"I'm nervous." Mary said with a shaky voice.

"I know Mary, I know, I am too."

When the bus arrived in the school parking lot the girls waited their turn to get off and then searched for their mother. When they found her they went through the front entrance and Alexis tried to explain to her mother that she could find her class on her own, that she didn't need her mommy to help her find it. But Mary still wanted her mom to come with her to find her class. So as Alexis wandered off into her class Mary and her mother stood in front of Ms. Cali's classroom.

"You ready?" her mother asked.

"Yea, I guess its now or never, bye see you after school mom." Mary said after giving her mom a huge hug and kiss goodbye. As she entered the classroom she saw so many kids sitting at their desks and putting away their backpacks in the little cubby-like lockers behind the chalkboard. Then she walked up to her teacher and said nervously.

"Um…hello, my name is Mary and I'm new here." Mary said to Ms. Cali, her teacher.

"Well its very nice to meat you Mary, why don't you find your seat, it has your name on it then you can find a hook with your name on it as well." Ms. Cali answered.

"Then you can mingle."

"Then I can what?"

"Oh… mingle, it means to talk to and get to know the other students."

"Oh ok, thank you."

When the school bell rang the announcements started, they all said the Pledge of Allegiance, then the school activities were announced, then after that Ms. Cali said,

" We have a new student here today, would that student please stand and introduce herself."

Mary was hesitant to stand and didn't want to so she just sat there. Then a freckle faced brunette girl sitting next to her said,

"This girl is new." Then everyone looked over at Mary.

"Would you please come to the front of the class and introduce yourself?" Ms. Cali asked again nicely

"Um…sure." Mary answered nervously. As she left her seat her whole body seemed to be shacking.

"Why don't you just tell the class a little something about yourself?"

"Um…ok, my name is Mary Barton, I came here from St. Mary's school in Mundelein, and…yea that's about it."

"Thank you, you may take your seat."

"Ok" After returning to her seat the girl next to her said,

"Hi, my name is Amanda Silverton, want to be my friend?"

"Sure, why not."

After her horrific experience in front of the class, or at least she thought it was horrific, both the girls hung out. During class they worked together if they were allowed to work with a partner, and they ate together at lunch, and at recess they swung on the swings together. Miss Cali noticed that the two girls seemed to click instantly.

"Wow, you two seem to be making wonderful first day forth grade memories.

"Yea, we are having the best time." Amanda said.

"Yea, I'm glad I made a friend." Mary said.

"Well I am glad you two girls are enjoying yourselves." Ms. Cali said in a rather chipper tone. When the end of school bell rang the two girls went to find their busses and realized that they were on the same but.

"Fait" they said together chuckling. And the two girls sat together on the bus until it was time for Amanda to get off.

"Bye" Mary said

"See you tomorrow" Amanda said back.

After her first day at school, Mary came home to tell her mom that she made a friend.

"Mommy, guess what?" She said running in the house.

"What?"

"I have a friend, her name is Amanda and she is so nice even miss Cali said we made cool first day of forth grade memories, what ever that means."

"Cool, see I told you, you would meet new people." Then when Alexis came in the door she told them of her wonderful day, that she had made friends with basically her whole class and how she was going to join choir.

"I want to join choir!" Mary said.

"You cant you have to be in fifth grade so next year."

"Oh man." Mary was devastated but she could wait for that, besides then she had more time to hang out with her new best friend.

After the first couple of weeks, Mary started to get made fun of by these two boys on her bus, John and Tony. They would always make fun of her hair color and her freckles. Mary wasn't one of the skinniest girls in the forth grade but she wasn't huge either. She was average sized, red headed, freckle faced, and Tony and John always made fun of her for what she looked like and how she acted. Amanda never really stood up for Mary, and so her sister would always have to interfere, which made them make fun of her even more when Alexis wasn't there.

As the year went by the bullying never stopped. And Amanda never seemed to step in. So everyday on the way home on the bus instead of sitting with Amanda she sat with her sister and Matthew, Alexis and Matt were in the same grade and Matt stood up for Mary just as much as Alexis did. Matt was like a big brother to Mary, he was much taller then Mary and her sister, brown hair, brown eyes and rather muscular for a fifth grader. Mary kept going to her teacher and even her parents about these two boys but that seemed to make it worse. So by the end of the year she had only one friend and that was Amanda, and she barely had her.

On the last day of school Mary couldn't wait to be rid of it…the school that is…she hated going there day after day, and not just because of homework, waking up early, and all those other reasons kids hate school. It was because she just hated getting bullied day after day class after class and even after school was over because John and Tony were on her bus. And things would only get worse.

Chapter Two 

After a very long summer break and refreshing at that, Mary started to get ready for fifth grade. She didn't want to go back to St. Gilbert, she hated it there!

"Mom please cant I go back to St. Mary's?"

"No hunny, it's to much to have to drive you to Mundelein, and besides things will change I promise, they will get better!" Mary's mom tried to make her feel better but she knew things would get worse.  
On the first day she and her sister road the bus again…only this time their mom didn't follow the bus. Mary found her classroom in no time because it was just up the hall from her forth grade classroom. Her teacher this year was Mrs. Geo. At first she wanted to go up and ask, "where is my seat?" but knew how it worked this year…all she had to do was find the desk with her name on it then the hanger behind the chalk board. When she sat down she arranged her desk just the way she liked it all neat and pretty. Then went to her hanger after unpacking her backpack and hung it up.

Then when the bell rang she got in her seat and looked around for Amanda. But she didn't see her. _OH crap _she thought to herself _what if Amanda is in a different class? Then I have no friends oh shoot_. She just watched the door in hopes that Amanda would walk right through it. But she didn't, Amanda was in Mrs. Katherine's class, and now she had to try and make new friends. She never seemed to be very good in that department. She looked around her classroom for some people to talk to after announcements. She had known some of them from last year because they were in her homeroom class, but some of them she had absolutely no clue who they were.

After Mrs. Geo talked about the class rules and gave the kids their schedules she allowed them to talk. The first couple of minutes Mary just sat at her desk. Then she got up the courage to go talk to Alyson, and her group of friends. There were 5 girls in Alyson's group, there was Latasha, a blond who acted like one, Melanie, another blond only she didn't act like the stereotypical blond, Cindy, an African American girl who seemed to be nice, Meg a short girl to be a fifth grader but nice enough, and of course Alyson a dark skinned girl who never really liked Mary.

Mary walked up to their desks and said,

"Hi may I join you?" At first no one answered, then Latasha said,

"Sure sit down right here." Said one of the girls

"Thanks"

"So…Mary, what have you been up to lately?" Cindy asked.

"Nothing really, how about all of you?" One by one they answered basically the same thing. See they all have known each other since kindergarten and 1st grade so they basically spent the whole summer together. After ten or fifteen minutes Mary was basically just a bystander, she wasn't really in any of the conversations because the girls didn't seem to want her to be. So after her wonderful experience with those oh so lovely girls she just went and sat at her desk and go out one of her favorite books.

The next thing she new a girl was standing next to her desk,

"Hi" she said.

"Um…hello."

"My name is Marie."

"I'm Mary."

"Nice to meat you, so how was your summer?" Mary was a little surprised that someone was actually talking to her let alone this girl. She was a little bit taller than Mary, had blond hair, blue eyes, and freckles.

"My summer was good, how was yours?" The two girls talked most of the afternoon. And then Marie brought over some of her other friends, Latasha, another tall girl, black hair, dark skin, and brown eyes, Margarita, this one wasn't so tall she was about Mary's height and had brown hair, brown eyes and seemed nice, and Ashley, she also had long brown hair and a glittering personality.

"Hi there Mary." Said Latasha.

"Hi how are you?" Mary asked, once the five girls got to know each other they became really good friends. "So do you guys want to go into cheerleading with me?" Margarita asked.

"I don't know I'm not that flexible." Ashley said.

"Me either." Marie said.

"I'll do it, it sounds fun!" Mary said with a burst of excitement.

"Cool, the first practice is next week, I'll meet you by the gym after school, ok?"

"Alright!" The two girls were very excited Mary always wondered what it would be like to be a cheerleader, she wanted to be in choir too but decided that she'd like cheerleading more. Margarita was counting on her to start it with her. As the day continued the girls talked about normal stuff. They were really starting to develop a quality friendship. They talked and talked all day long, and when they weren't allowed to talk they wrote notes and when they had time they'd pass them to each other, even if that time was at the end of the day.

"So, Margarita, do we have to tryout for cheerleading?" Mary asked.

"No, that's the best part, everyone who shows up gets in, it has something to do with that we are in a catholic school, and it would be unfair for some kids not to get into a sport or something…but its cool huh?" Margarita was really looking forward to starting cheerleading, and Mary was too, although she was more nervous than excited. She didn't want any of the other girls making fun of her.

When the day for the first cheerleading practice came, Mary and Margarita walked in together, both scared, and excited.

"Oh my goodness, I can't believe we are going to be cheerleaders!" Margarita said.

"Yeah I know…" Mary wasn't quite as excited as Margarita but she was happy to be there. As the practice went on the girls learned how to do a toe-touch, how their hands should be positioned and many other things. They were having the time of their lives.

"Isn't this fun Mary?" Margarita asked.

"Yeah, loads of fun!" Mary said enthusiastically.

But then something horrible happened. The two heard chuckles coming from the back of the gym. And as they turned around they noticed that a group of girls were laughing at them. Margarita just ignored them, but Mary couldn't she didn't want a repeat of last year. Every time the two of them learned something new or performed a move they would hear the chuckling…it seemed that the chuckling was getting louder and that more people were laughing as time went on.  
"I cant take this stupid stuff anymore, aren't you annoyed by the constant giggling?" Mary asked Margarita.

"Just ignore them and they'll stop eventually!" Margarita insured her.

"Alright but I just hate being teased if this turns into something horrible, like last year I'll be ticked." Mary informed her.

The next day at school when Mary walked into her homeroom class she heard that same chuckling and was just saying, "ignore them" in her head. But after about ten minutes it got really annoying and she went up to the group and asked,

"What's so funny?" in a curious tone as not to show that she thought they were laughing at or about her.

"Oh, nothing it's just that yesterday…oh, never mind you wouldn't care anyway." One of the girls said.

"Ok, bye then." Mary said and then walked back to her desk and got ready to switch classes. She didn't want to make it seem that she was even the slightest bit interested in what they were laughing about, but it was kind of hard because she was.

As the weeks turned into months of torture from bullying and teasing Mary just couldn't take it anymore. She tried to ignore them and tried to talk back but it seemed that all they would do is make even more fun of her when she did that. She didn't want to go to St. Gilbert anymore, she just wanted to leave. Her patients was growing smaller by the second, and she wasn't known for her outbursts but she was so ready to have a fit!

When she got home one day she just couldn't take it anymore. She was so upset and ready to cry and breakdown on the floor that she didn't realize that her empty fish bowl had fallen on the floor and broken, and she accidentally stepped on it.  
"Ow, what was that?" she said to herself.

"Oh, crap, my fish tank broke, what am I going to do mom is going to kill me?" She was running around her room trying to figure out what to do, and then it occurred to her

"Huh, I could just throw it away, she'd never know." So she went downstairs grabbed a garbage bag and started to pick up the broken glass. She was still very frustrated with the whole school situation that she picked up a piece of the glass and looked at it. She had seen on the new how a girl's parents found out that she'd been cutting herself. She was just about ready to give up; when she decided that she was going to do it too. She didn't know any other way to fix her problem, and get rid of the pain so she took the piece of glass and moved it across her wrist. As soon as she saw blood, she felt relief and sighed. She didn't know exactly what she had done until she figured out that she had to cover it up.

Panicked and not having a clue what to do she took a bandage and put it over the cut and thought that should do for now. All she had to do was wear long sleeves to school now and she'd be set.


End file.
